Slam Dunk 02
by AJ Maxwell
Summary: My continuation of the anime series Slam Dunk, with Duo as a freshman at Shohoku High. Future shounen ai featuring SenKosh, RuHana, etc. Slam Dunk crossover with Gundam Wing AU. Please review! :)
1. Introduction and Glossary of Japanese Te...

List Updated: March 31, 2003

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Disclaimers

Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue, Shueisha Inc., I.T. Planning, and to all those big companies that earn from it. It is used without permission, but I am not earning anything from this, so there. Same with Gundam Wing. It's owned by Sunrise, Bandai, and all those big companies related to it. I've been a GW fanfic writer for almost five years now, and I haven't earned a single cent, so please don't sue. **Original part of the fiction is the property and is copyrighted to the author.**

Gah. That was a long disclaimer.

Anyway, I've come across people's reviews (flames) to other fics demanding canon proof or logical explanation on how some fic details came to be, when it's not really needed, because it's a damn fic, ne? I expect there'd be some people who will object to my idea for this fic, but what the hell. I only want to put together my favorite bishies, namely Duo, Sendoh, Mitsui, and Koshino (ogles said bishies' legs).

Duo: ^__^   
Sendoh: ^__^;   
Koshino: Ack! You hentai!   
Mitsui: ~~;

Can't a girl have some fun? So, that's really the purpose of this fic. Plus…I guess I'm too impatient for the second Slam Dunk, so I'm writing my own.

Btw, I'm not pissed off upon writing this. If the cuss words bothered you…(coughs). Sorry. (makes a peace sign)

Spoiler Warning

Duo won't be his utterly cheerful, genki self in the first parts of the fic, because there's gonna be some angst. Oooh. A little Duo torture, but not much. And Duo being Maki Shinichi's younger brother…hmm. What do you think? ^__^ It might seem weird at first, but it works, it really does.

Duo's still Duo Maxwell, but I'm also making him Maki Duo (am I stepping over fic writer bounds? I hope not). Of course, Maki's still gonna be called Maki, and Duo's still gonna be called Duo. Sounds a bit confusing as to how I'm gonna pull it off. It confuses me sometimes, too. Oh well. There'll be shounen ai/implied yaoi/yaoi in this fic, so if it bothers you, then please don't read any further.

I'll be stopping my rambling. Please review the fic. Thanks!

Glossary of Japanese Terms

1. okaasan - mother 

2. onii-chan (oniisan) - older brother 

3. otouto - younger brother 

4. Tadaima kaerimashita - I am back (said on returning to one's residence) 

5. okaeri (okaerinasai) - welcome home 

6. otousan - father 

7. aniki - older brother 

8. onegai - please 

9. maa - (scratches head) My dictionary says it means: Oh!; Dear me!; Oh my; Indeed. The translation in the series says it means "Well…" For this fic, I'm going with the last definition. 

10. Arigato - (of course you know this) Thank you 

11. baka - fool; stupidity; idiot 

12. imouto - younger sister 

13. koibito - lover 

14. sakura - cherry 

15. k'so (kuso=chikuso) - an expletive that means something like "Shit!" 

16. -san - an honorific used for older people (e.g. In Haruko's place, she addresses Rukawa and Sakuragi as Rukawa-kun and Sakuragi-kun, because they're the same age. She addresses Miyagi, Mitsui, and Kogure as Miyagi-san, Mitsui-san, and Kogure-san, because they're older.) NOTE: This is also used as an honorific for girls, much like -kun is an honorific used for boys. (e.g. Ayako-san, Haruko-san) 

17. tensai - genius 

18. kitsune - fox 

19. guntan - army NOTE: in other fics, people spell this as guntai, or gundan. My dictionary says the Japanese for army is guntan. If this is untrue (I have doubts for my dictionary, you know), please tell me. 

20. sensei - honorific used in addressing teachers, doctors, and other professionals 

21. kirei na - beautiful

22. hai - yes (sorry for including this)

23. gomen nasai - I'm sorry

24. yarou - bastard

25. hentai - pervert

26. oyaji - old man

27. doaho - ?

28. itai - ouch; painful

29. yoroshiku - nice to meet you (?)

30. yoshi (yosh) - alright; good

31. Nihonjin - Japanese

32. obasan (not obaasan) - aunt

33. obaasan - grandmother

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PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR MORE JAPANESE TERMS :) 


	2. Chapter One: Coming Home

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: (sighs) Second time I reformat this. I'm really sorry for the confusion and everything. I'm indicating the flashbacks now, since FFN won't allow indents. (glares at FFN) I also added some stuff, but they're minor details. I hope you don't mind. ^_^

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Slam Dunk 02  
(A SD/GW Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

Chapter One: Coming Home

Duo gazed listlessly at the clouds, the privileges of a window seat being totally lost on him. His eyes were merely open, but they did not really see, much less appreciate, the things around him. 

(begin flashback) 

"Uh, Mom?" he shuffled his feet uneasily, his head bowed down as his mother occupied herself with the paperwork before her.

"What is it, Duo?" she asked absently.

"W-will you…I mean, if you don't have anything to do this coming Friday…will you…will you mind going to the championship game?"

His mother looked up at him, the paperwork momentarily forgotten. "What was that again, sweetie?"

Duo held back his vehement protest on being called 'sweetie' and asked again, daring to sound a little hopeful for a second. "Will you mind going to the championship game? It's around six, at the Emerson Stadium."

He watched the blank look on his mother's face, and a sinking feeling gnawed his insides. "But maybe you're busy then, so forget I asked."

And as he quickly turned around to go back to his room, his mother said, "I'd love to watch you play, Duo."

He whipped his head around to look at his mother, his eyes wide in surprise. Then, a hopeful, tentative smile lit up his face. "Thanks, Mom."

(end flashback)

_I thought things would change for the better from there, just like Quatre had said. I risked the first move, and she accepted. I was so happy, and I was shocked at myself when I discovered that, after all those times when I told myself I didn't care if she watched the games or not, I _did _care. I cared a lot. _

(begin flashback)

Duo's voice could be heard beyond the locker room's door. "Why isn't she here?! She told me she'd come!"

It was during halftime, and Quatre racked his brain for reasons that could appease his distraught friend. "Duo…she might have been caught in traffic…" he trailed, coming up with nothing better than what he had just said four minutes ago.

"Dammit, I'm already fifteen! I shouldn't mind…I shouldn't mind it like this. It's always been the same…it's always been the same…I should be used to this already…"

"Duo…"

He roughly brushed away his tears, regarding the salty moisture on his hands with severe contempt. "She doesn't care. I don't care. It's cool. I'm cool. Everything's cool," he muttered to no one in particular. "I'll do my fucking best. There's only the second half now, and then I'll be the goddamned Rookie of the Year. Peachy. Everything's cool."

Quatre sighed. He knew how his friend felt, and even if he disapproved of Duo suppressing his anger or pain sometimes, he couldn't do anything but give his full support right then. "You're amazing tonight out there, Duo. Please remember that we're all here for you, whatever happens. We're a team now."

"Winner is right," Chang Wufei said as he sat beside his best friend. "And I'll never abandon you, you know."

Duo smiled. He was about to make a teasing retort on the sudden emotional openness his usually taciturn best friend, but he thought it was better not to. Besides, I guess this is one of those rare moments. Might as well bask in it while it lasts.

"Wufei! Quatre! Duo! New play!" It was their team captain, Zechs Merquise.

(end flashback)

Duo sighed. _Well, I guess if she lived longer Quatre would've been right. _

(begin flashback)

"See you tomorrow, okay, Duo?"

"You're the man, Quatre! O' course I'll see ya tomorrow!" Duo jovially saluted his blond friend as he stumbled on his house's walkway, his Rookie of the Year trophy in hand.

"Be careful."

"You worry too much, Wu-man! 'm a big boy I'll be fine!"

"Baka. You're too drunk. I'll help you inside."

"Oh Heero. Concerned for your partner, eh?"

"I know I'll sound like a hypocrite if I say that I shouldn't have let him-all of you-drink since you're all minors and I'm the eldest of our group."

"I won't mind if you still say it, Zechs," Wufei said. "I'll still love you."

"Wufei, now I'm sure you're really smashed to say that aloud."

Quatre shook his head. "Duo deserves to celebrate and try to be happy."

"We all do," Trowa agreed. "We're the champions, Zechs is the MVP, and Duo's Rookie of the Year. The best things just happened to our team, Quatre."

"There's a problem." It was Heero.

"We didn't notice that you already came back…"

"What is it?"

"It's Duo's mom…"

(end flashback)

"Duo? Duo, we're about to land. Fasten your seatbelt."

Duo shook himself out of his reverie as his father tapped him on the arm. He fastened his seatbelt mindlessly, and sighed.

Duo's father, upon hearing his spiritless sigh, patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You're home now, Duo. Shinichi and I will take care of you. Everything will be all right, you'll see." He smiles at him, and Duo just had to smile back.

*

Maki Shinichi stood at the arrival area, his anticipation at seeing his younger brother again revealed only in his eyes. He knew that he should be sad because of the terms that made his brother come back. Somehow, he was, but his joy overrode his other feelings. _I wonder how he must look now. It's been four years since he last sent a picture… He must have been so busy, like I was when I entered high school. I hope it wasn't too hard for him, his life in America._

_I wonder how he must be feeling right now. He must be devastated that okaasan is gone. He didn't have many friends last time I heard…surely he must also be glad that he's back home. I know _I_ am._

He remembered his brother's chestnut brown hair, much longer than his had ever been. The last time they were together, it brushed his frail shoulders, and it was the reason why those who didn't know them always mistook them as brother and sister. They always heard their elders cooing, as ladies petted his "adorable sister's" head, and men congratulating him for being a good onii-chan. And there was a time when a group of boys his age mistook his otouto for a girl…

(begin flashback)

It was the Maki brothers' luck that they got to the basketball court first. The fenced court was empty, and Duo cheered at their great timing. "Finally we'll get to play!"

And play they did. Shinichi, being more developed and more skillful at the game, instructed his younger brother on what he observed as lacking. Duo's arms weren't as powerful as his older brother's, but with some effort he was able to shoot from the third square, and finally, a jump shot to take care of free throws. They took turns with the ball, and with encouraging each other. Shinichi patiently waited for Duo to get a shot in the basket before making his own, and Duo absorbed everything his brother taught him.

"Well, well. Look what we have here."

The brothers merely glanced at the newcomers, and continued playing.

"Hey, Maki-kun. Didn't think you were so insecure of your skills that you'd rather play against a weak little girl than with boys your age."

Duo whipped around to glare at the offending thirteen-year-old. "I don't care if you're older! You take that back!"

Shinichi stood protectively before Duo, and declared, "My sister is not weak! We'll play against you!"

"Yeah!" Duo hotly agreed. Then, as his brother's words sank in, he furiously turned on Shinichi and wailed, "Onii-chan!!!"

The other boys laughed. "And she's even your sister! I'd've understood if you were just showing off to some girl who liked you, even if she's too young."

"Why you!"

"Yuck!"

"Don't ever say that again! She's my sister!"

"Onii-chan! Quit saying that!"

The three newcomers played against them. Duo simmered inside, but proceeded to play his best. Shinichi, on the other hand, was just enjoying himself. They beat them. Their opponents were baffled.

"H-how could a girl beat us like that?"

"That's because I'm not a girl, you morons!" Duo said huffily. "I'm a boy!" he proclaimed, squaring his shoulders and taking a manly stance.

Shinichi was smirking as he dribbled the ball absently. "Even so. You shouldn't underestimate your opponent because of gender."

(end flashback)

The memory brought a genuine smile to his lips, and it made him look younger. If he were only aware of a smile's effect on him, he would have always smiled, just so that no one would call him 'old man' or 'oldy', especially Sakuragi Hanamichi.

He looked at his watch again, noting that his father and brother should have arrived minutes ago. Though his patience was notable on and off court, he couldn't help but tap his foot a little in edginess.

"Shinichi! Help us with the baggage!"

He quickly looked up as he heard his father call him. Moving forward, he was lead by his father to the baggage area, his eyes darting left and right, looking for his brother, Duo. "What bags are Duo's?"

Suddenly, he felt a looming presence behind him. He turned slightly to see who it was, and his eyes went wide. _Violet eyes…that hair! Can't be…!_

It was Duo, all right, and he stood six centimeters taller than him!

"O-otouto?" Shinichi ventured, a bit disbelievingly.

Duo attempted his usual rakish grin for his older brother, and was half successful. "The one and only."

The slight accent of the reply did not get past Shinichi, but he was too shocked for his brain to register it quickly. "B-but," he shook his brother's shoulders, "you're taller than me!"

Duo had to chuckle. "Yeah. Do you mind?"

The simple reply only proved how much his otouto had changed. He expected Duo to gloat and crow in triumph, but he didn't. Instead, he was simply smiling, with a hint of sadness in his eyes. _People change, Shinichi. He can't always be the little brother you had before he went away._ He shook his head in reply, and gave him a big hug.

"Tadaima kaerimashita," Duo said, unconsciously meaning only half of it.

Shinichi felt his brother's words, and was saddened. _How much has he changed? Was his life so hard? Didn't okaasan treat him well? What happened to him? _But as he pondered those questions, he tightened his arms, and whispered the word that he wholeheartedly meant. "Okaeri."

*

"What really happened, otousan?" Maki Shinichi asked his father after he made sure that his younger brother was sound asleep in the backseat.

"Just as I told you on the phone, Shinichi, your okaasan is dead. There was a car accident. Beyond that, I don't know anything else. I asked your otouto, but he wouldn't talk about it. I don't want to force him to talk about it anymore, because…you see how he is right now. He might seem as if he's taking it well, but as sad as it is, we don't really know him now…"

Shinichi conceded, nodding. "He's been away long enough. Otousan, I've been thinking, maybe I should stay at home for a year. Duo is in a delicate condition right now, and adjusting to a totally different environment will make things harder for him. Maybe my staying for a while will make it a bit easier for him to adjust, since I am the one he is most familiar with."

"I have been thinking along the same lines, since I would not be at home most of the time because of work. If you were to move out of the house at this time, Duo will be left alone at home. Your brother is so lonely, but what about college? Have you decided on that?"

"I'll just attend the nearest college for a while, just until Duo's okay with everything."

"I see. It's good that you thought of that on your own," his father murmured, smiling at his eldest son. "You're a good aniki, Shinichi."

He only nodded in reply. _Duo hasn't had an older brother for six years. I'm going to make sure that I'm here for him._

*

Duo was jetlagged, but he was still wide-awake, staring at his room's ceiling.

Everything felt different to him, yet he knew that he shouldn't be feeling that way. He was in his home, after all, and the room he was in used to be his room when he was a kid. He was reunited with his father and brother at last, so what was the problem? He should be glad; at last he came back home, just as he'd wished when he was in the U.S.

But now, he only felt like he didn't belong, like he was an outsider.

_Maybe it's just like this. I haven't been in this place for…what? Six years? I guess I'll have to adjust with things, just as my family will adjust to the changes in me. Heh. Especially onii-chan. He couldn't believe that I'm taller than him now. I hope he doesn't feel bad about it. I know he doesn't, but… Oh well, at least no one's gonna mistake me for his sister, now!_

The sudden knock on his door shook him out of his thoughts. Must be onii-chan. "Come in!"

The door opened, admitting Maki. "Duo, you're supposed to be resting."

Duo sat up and patted the space beside him. "I am, onii-chan. Come sit here, onegai? I missed you."

Maki blushed at his younger brother's openness, but was pleased. At least that part of his brother hadn't changed. He strode to the bed and sat beside Duo. "You should stop calling me that, you know."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Calling you what?"

"Onii-chan," he said gruffly. The word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Why?"

Maki sighed exasperatedly. "Duo, any self-respecting guy wouldn't call his aniki 'onii-chan'."

"Why?"

"Because it just is! Call me aniki from now on, okay?"

"Aniki," Duo said, testing the word on his tongue. He pouted. "Maa, I don't like it! I never did like it!" he declared. "I'm calling you onii-chan."

Maki gritted his teeth. "But Duo! It's embarrassing!"

"No, it's not! It's cute and I like it!"

"Duo," he growled.

"Onii-chan!" he wailed, his violet eyes sparkling in mischief.

"Why do you always have to annoy me like this?"

Duo patted his shoulder consolingly. "Because I'm your otouto and this is my mission in life. You should just accept it, onii-chan, as hard as it may be."

Maki grumbled about something, looking terribly pissed off.

"And you should loosen up, onii-chan. Smile. It takes years off your face!"

Maki glared at him. "You're an insulting monkey, you know?"

Duo just grinned at him, and triumphantly made a victory sign.

Maki stood up and walked to the door. "I just came here to tell you that dinner's just about ready."

"I'll be there, onii-chan! Arigato!"

Maki hmphed, and closed the door.

Duo just stared at the door for a few seconds, and then burst into loud, breath-hacking laughter. There were tears in his eyes, and he was pounding the pillows with his fists.

Right from under his room's floorboards, Maki's voice boomed, "Shut up, baka!"

This only made Duo laugh harder.

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So how was it? Promising story? Insane fic? Please review!


	3. Chapter Two: Before: Imouto, After: Koib...

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: I'm soon coming out with the third chapter... sorry for the numerous flashbacks. I hope you like this one! ^_^

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Slam Dunk 02  
(A SD/GW Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

Maki Duo came back from America after his mother died. His father took him back to Japan, where his brother, Maki Shinichi, waited. It was a reunion that the two brothers had always wanted, but sadly, it was tainted with their mother's passing away. However, the two were determined to get past the circumstances that brought them together, basking in each other's presence, with Duo annoying the hell out of his older brother. 

The winter season was near its end, and Duo was going to school in a few weeks' time. But before this, Maki Shinichi took his otouto for a tour around the Kanagawa prefecture. What will happen and who will they meet? Was Duo right in thinking that no one's going to mistake him as his onii-chan's sister? Maybe. Maybe not. 

*

Chapter Two: Before: Imouto, After: Koibito?!?!?!

The next day, Maki took his otouto out to familiarize him with the changes in the Kanagawa prefecture. Duo was more than glad to get out of his room and see the sights, even though there were piles of sludge from the melted snow outside.

"Ne, 'nii-chan?"

Maki regarded this by raising an eyebrow. He was still embarrassed about being called onii-chan in his age by his sixteen-year-old brother, but it wasn't really his problem. He already warned Duo about it, but he refused.

"Where did you go to high school again? I don't think you ever talked much about your school." 

"Kainan High," Maki replied. "I played for the basketball team, point guard position."

"Oh," was all Duo said. Inwardly, he cursed his strong urge to talk. He shouldn't have asked his brother about school, because it automatically included the topic of basketball, which was a topic that he had no desire of taking up any time now.

"How about you?"

Duo grimaced. _Fuck. Why did I have to open my big mouth? _"Palisades High," he mumbled, his eyes roving around the streets, refusing to look at his older brother. _Please don't ask me any more, 'nii-chan. Please don't ask me any more..._

Maki nodded. "I know that. What I meant was, were you also part of your school's basketball team. You _do _remember your promise, don't you?"

(begin flashback) 

The two brothers were crying as their mother hauled out suitcases full of clothing. Their parents had divorced, and their mother decided to take her younger son with her to America. 

Violet eyes shimmered with tears. "'Nii-chan I don't wanna go!"

The taller brother sniffled, trying to hold back his tears. He didn't understand why their okaasan had to take his otouto with her--away from him--and at that moment he was so angry at her. He wanted to plead with her not to take Duo away, but she was still his mother. Whatever reason his mother had, he was sure that he will understand in the future, and that it would make sense somehow. "Duo, don't be sad. We'll see each other again soon, ne? No need to cry--"

"But you're crying, too!" Duo wailed, sobbing in earnest now. He knew his otousan would be ashamed of how he was acting like such a crybaby at that moment, and he tried to stifle his sobs. He looked for his father then, dreading that he might see disappointment on his father's face, but what he saw made him mourn pitifully. "'tousan..."

The sight of his father trembling and biting his lower lip to keep from crying made Duo bow his head in defeat. He was really leaving; his father was letting him leave.

Maki noticed his brother's hope leaving him. Maybe he hoped that their mother would change her mind and leave her with them, or maybe he hoped that their father would put his foot down on what was happening and demand that Duo be left with them. He wasn't really sure, but to see his always optimistic brother looking so forlorn made him panic.

"Duo? Duo!" he shook his brother's frail shoulders, demanding complete attention to him.

Big violet eyes turned to him, their usual light muted to nothing.

"Let Duo-chan go now, Shini-chan." It was their mother's voice, pained and uneasy, yet determined.

Duo sniffled again. "'nii-chan, I hafta go now..."

Maki nodded, no longer crying. He hoped this would work. "I also think you better go. Maybe you'll be stronger in America...maybe you'll be stronger away from us."

His brother's eyes narrowed at that. He knew how Duo's brain worked. He always felt the need to prove himself, to prove that he was stronger than he looked, to prove that he was better and not some weakling that other people thought. He looked fragile and girly, and he absolutely hated it when he was compared to his older brother who, at thirteen, was taller and had the defined muscles of a fifteen-year-old. He was sure that his brother was somehow insulted at what he said, because Duo flared up at the slightest provocation. "You sayin' something?"

He just kept silent, his gaze a tad condescending, which made Duo flare up.

"YOU SAYIN' I'M *WEAK*?!?!" Duo bellowed as loud and as menacing as a ten-year-old boy could manage. "YOU SAYIN' I CAN'T BE STRONG HERE....CAN'T BE STRONGER THAN *YOU*" he spat out, his skinny hands balled into fists. His tears were long forgotten now, and when Shinichi raised an eyebrow, it was the last straw.

"I'M GOING TO BE STRONGER THAN YOU!" he shouted, violet eyes gaining back their old fire. "I'M GOING TO COME BACK HERE, AND BEAT YOU! I'm going to be so much better... I'M GOING TO BE SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU THAT YOU'LL *CRY*!!"

Their parents blinked, stunned at the turn of events. Maki, meanwhile, felt like grinning, but he raised both eyebrows instead. "Promise?"

"WHY YOU ARROGANT--!" Duo lunged at him. "I SWEAR on our ancest--"

"MAKI DUO!!" their father roared. To include their ancestors in such a petty fight was to disrespect them--a mortal sin for their father.

Duo had to think of something else, and he swore on the next thing that came to mind, "I SWEAR ON MY FOOT THAT I'LL BEAT YOU!!!"

Maki Shinichi blinked.

Maki Duo blinked.

Their father, Maki Shinouyo, blinked.

Their mother, Maki Helen--now Helen Maxwell--blinked. "Eh?" she ventured. "The right or the left?"

The other three crashed to the floor, twitching.

Helen just blinked at them again. "What?"

Their suitcases were already in the taxi. Helen Maxwell got in the car first, and Duo followed. As the cab slowly pulled away, Duo looked back, and saw his father patting his older brother's shoulder comfortingly. His brother, he saw, was rubbing his eyes with his fist. Duo grinned at them, tears stinging his eyes once more, and waved. His father waved back at him, but his older brother wasn't looking. Duo quickly opened the window, and waved frantically. "Onii-chan!"

Maki looked up, and waved dazedly. "Duo..."

Duo mustered his brightest grin for his older brother. "Arigato!!" he shouted, still waving. "Practice hard! I'm gonna come back and beat you, okay?! I promise!"

The cab picked up speed. His older brother's form was getting fainter and fainter, but he didn't miss the answering smile.

_I'll come back, onii-chan. Please wait for me._

(end flashback)

The taller teenager grew cold. _The damn promise, courtesy of my big mouth again. _"Of course I remember. I promised to beat you when I come back here."

Maki just looked at him, expecting him to continue.

Right then, Duo prayed for a distraction.

"Oi! Maki-san!"

The brothers turned to see who it was, but Maki had a feeling that he already knew, even before he turned to look. He was right. Kiyota Nobunaga was scampering towards them, with Jin Soichiro, who followed at a more sedate pace.

"You know these guys, 'nii-chan?"

"Aa. They were my juniors at Kainan."

The two Kainan High students stopped before them, and greeted their former captain. They were both curious as to who the taller person was, and they both wondered if Maki had finally got himself a girlfriend. 

Jin assessed Duo quietly. He noted the big violet eyes and long, chestnut brown hair, and his curiosity was piqued at each passing second. He saw the tuft of Duo's braid peeking from behind his pert ass, and thought to himself, "Kirei na, even if she's taller. Maki-san has taste...but then, who says he doesn't? There _was _Fujima back then." He wanted to ask some questions, but held himself back. Kiyota, on the other hand, dove in for the kill.

"So, Maki-san," he began, his mannerisms comfortable and friendly, as if he and the older teenager went way back. "Who's your lovely friend here? Why didn't you even tell your good friend Nobu-kun that you already got yourself a new girlfriend, huh? Congratulations!"

Maki and Duo's eyes widened as they gaped at the wild-haired monkey that was Kiyota. Maki was so disgusted at what his junior had said that he felt like throwing up there and then. _GIRLFRIEND?!?!?!??! _he mentally gagged. 

Duo, on the other hand, couldn't decide on what to do. He'd blown his fuse many times, but it was only then that he couldn't decide what to do first: throw up and deny what the stupid bastard had said, or kill the offending boy with _Chang Wufei's 1001 Ways to Exact Chinese Torture--The Best Torture_. 

Jin saw their reactions and was alarmed. He tugged nervously at Kiyota's arm, and said, "I think we better go now."

But Kiyota was oblivious, for he found himself suddenly fascinated with the burning fire in those big violet pools. He mentally smacked himself. _Too bad she's taken. No use thinking about her like this. Ah...why is it that Maki-san has all the luck?! It's so unfair!_

"Kiyota! Come on!" Jin tugged at him frantically, trying to drag the shorter boy away from the other two.

"'nii-chan," Duo growled, burning with a menacing battle aura.

"Hai?" Maki growled in response, his own battle aura burning tenfold.

Duo's words were interrupted by a delighted squeal from Kiyota. "You're Maki-san's imouto-chan?!" he asked, grinning hugely. He turned to Maki and slapped him on the back. "Why didn't you tell us that you have such a beautiful imouto, eh, Maki-san? She could've cheered for us during the games, you know? Would've done wonders for motivating the guys. I'm not saying that Riki-sensei's motivational methods aren't enough, but having a gorgeous girl screaming your name by the sides would've--hey, where'd Jin go?" He looked around, and confirmed that Jin was nowhere to be found. He just shrugged, and turned to Duo again. "I'm Kiyota Nobunaga. I was the Super Rookie of Kainan High, and I'll be the next Maki Shinichi in Kanagawa--of course, even better. May I know your name?"

Duo gritted his teeth, but managed to reply. "Arm."

Kiyota blinked. "Arm?" he coughed, trying to smile at Duo. "Er, Arm-san? May I call you that? Such a...er, lovely name, Arm."

Duo shook his head, amazed at the boy's denseness. "You don't understand."

"Oh? You mind my calling you by your first name? Gomen nasai. What would you like me to call you? Of course, I can call you Maki-san, but then, wouldn't it be confusing since I also call Maki-san," gestured vaguely to Maki, "Maki-san?"

Maki, at that point, had cooled down. He was extremely pissed off at Kiyota, but seeing the way he was blissfully digging his own grave, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity. 

Duo shook his head again, and said, "What I meant was, if you value your arm, you should be running away now."

Kiyota blinked, and jumped to protect the gorgeous imouto-chan of Maki-san. "What? Is someone out here to hurt you? Don't worry! I, Kiyota Nobunaga, Super Basketball Player of the whole Kanagawa prefecture, will protect you! I won't let anyone harm you!"

With identical looks of utter consternation, Maki and Duo crashed to the snow, twitching.

*

Koshino Hiroaki stomped his foot in a show of impatience as he checked for the time again. He and Sendoh Akira had agreed to have lunch before their basketball practice, and as he expected, his spiky-haired ex-boyfriend was running late _again._

His scowl deepened. Sendoh was always like that--goofing off, being late, without a care in the world, and he hadn't changed, even after they lost their ticket to the Inter High the previous regional championship...after they had lost to Shohoku. The memory left a bad taste in his mouth that he wanted to spit out. He checked his watch again.

But then, they did win in the winter tournament along with Shoyo, which was only a few weeks past. The thought of it lifted some of his irritation. _Maybe Taoka-sensei wouldn't chew us out so badly this time. _

He sighed. It still seemed unlikely to him, and at the rate things were going, they were going to get a serious bashing from Taoka-sensei for being late. Deciding to give up on waiting for Sendoh, he prepared to call the waiter to order his meal.

"Koshino."

The new Ryonan vice captain looked up, and saw Maki Shinichi standing over him, with a tall girl beside him. He looked closer at Maki's companion, and discovered that he had made a mistake. "Maki-san," he acknowledged, nodding at Maki, then at his braided companion. The stranger nodded back, grinning. Briefly, he wondered if he was right the first time, but dismissed the thought. However feminine the braided one seemed at first glance, there was no mistaking the confident, masculine stance, the narrow hips, and the slight hint of broadening shoulders. Of course, there was also the notable height, which made him stick to his second assessment.

"I hope we didn't disturb you," Maki began. "We couldn't find an unoccupied table for ourselves, and I was wondering if we could--"

Koshino just nodded and said quickly. "Of course. Why not? I don't mind if you join me. It would be a good change, though I must warn you that I don't have that much time to chat. Sorry."

"Too bad," the stranger said finally, sliding into the seat beside Koshino. "I've been looking for sane people to talk with--aside from my onii-chan--the whole morning. Haven't had any luck."

Maki had already picked a seat and was calling the waiter.

"Oh? So you're Maki-san's brother!" Everything clicked in his head. Now that he looked closely, there was a slight resemblance to the two. Though they could be described as opposites upon first inspection, their hair color was similar. Their features also had a ghost of resemblance, whereas Maki looked really mature, the other one looked really young. Their auras were also similar--confident and a touch intimidating. Their eyes, though different in shape and coloring, also shone with the same wise light.

"Yeah! I'm Duo Maxwe--I mean, Maki Duo," Duo introduced himself, feeling a bit odd at introducing himself in that manner again. "But just please call me Duo. I just came back from America, and I'm staying for good. 

"I'm Koshino Hiroaki. Nice meeting you, Duo."

"What are you guys having?" Maki interrupted. Standing at his side was the waiter.

The two boys ordered their lunch, and fell back to their conversation, with the older Maki joining in a few times.

"Can you believe it?" Duo said for the third time, and Koshino couldn't help smiling at the younger boy's story and storytelling style. He wasn't sure what it was about the younger boy, but he felt comfortable with him in such a short time. "That idiot thought I was 'nii-chan's girlfriend! _Girlfriend?!?!_" He makes gagging noises, which made Koshino laugh.

"Duo," Maki reprimanded his brother, as their food was served. "Not too loud."

"Yare, yare..." Duo trailed, then picked up the story again. "Then next he thought I was 'Maki-san's imouto-chan'--really! Do I look so fricking girly?! I have a braid, but I'm wearing manly clothing, you know? And I don't act sissy!"

Koshino nodded to this, to which he followed with, "Of course. How could he have been so mistaken like that?"

Maki raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't think that he was a girl at first?"

Koshino flushed a little, and admitted his initial blunder. "Well, at first I thought Duo was a girl--"

"NANI?!?!?!? ACK! You're also one of them!"

"But that was only during the first ten seconds or so," he quickly appeased the younger boy.

"Koshino!" came a new voice. "Sorry I'm late!"

The three of them looked at the newcomer, who was panting and scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Koshino's expression turned sour, but he didn't shout or reprimand his best friend as much this time. "Overslept again. Sit down and get something to eat."

Sendoh grinned, grateful and surprised that his best friend didn't get angry with him like the usual. "So, we have company," he said, smiling at Maki, and then turned to look at the stranger. 

Maki, twisting his food with his chopsticks, observed the Ryonan ace player closely. He knew of the younger boy's reputation, and he suddenly felt like covering his otouto's head with a paper bag just to get the spiky-haired player's attention off him.

"Uh-oh." It was Koshino. He and Maki shared worried glances.

Duo, meanwhile, was oblivious. The spiky-haired stranger instantly caught his interest, and he smiled back. "Hi! I'm Maki Duo, but just call me Duo. You are?"

Sendoh's smile widened, and went into flirt-mode. "Sendoh Akira," he replied with a wink. 

Maki and Koshino looked as if they were about to get sick.

*

The two Ryonan players had left after paying their bill, with Koshino nearly dragging Sendoh away from Duo.

"But Hiroaki!" was Sendoh's exasperated exclamation. "Duo and I are still talking!"

Koshino glared at his friend. "Well, we won't be talking to anyone again if we're late! Now let's go!"

"Go right ahead," Maki waved them farewell, eager to put some distance between the famous hentai and his innocent otouto. "Bye!"

"You better go now, Akira," Duo said regretfully. "We'll see each other again, ne? You, too, Koshino-san. It was great meeting both of you."

Koshino was about to protest against the younger boy's formality with him, but when he noticed that Sendoh stopped struggling and was mumbling things to himself, he took the opportunity and pulled his friend away. "Ja ne! Maki-san! Duo!"

The brothers waved goodbye, watching with interest as the shorter Ryonan player thwapped his much taller friend without batting an eyelash. Maki read the words from Koshino's lips, and chuckled.

Duo looked at him curiously. "What?"

"He said, 'Get your spikes out of the clouds, baka!"

"Koshino-san has quite a temper, huh? But he seems nice enough."

Maki just shrugged at this, and changed the topic. "So," he began, as he waved for the waiter to get their bill. "You never answered my question back there."

"Back where?" Duo suddenly looked guarded.

Maki sighed. It seemed that the subject of their favorite sport bothered his otouto somehow. "Never mind." _But I'll get to the bottom of this, Duo. You can't run away like this forever._

* * *

Finished May 16, 2002. Was it okay? Did you like it? Please review! Thanks!


	4. Interlude One: Why Duo's Going to Shohok...

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: I just finished reading this MakiFuji/MakiJin fic, and I discovered that I really like both pairings. Don't be surprised if I put some hints in the future parts. 

* * *

Slam Dunk 02  
(A SD/GW Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

Maki Duo's second day in Kanagawa had been pleasant, even though the first half had been spent in total vexation over a certain self-acclaimed Super Rookie. He had encountered Maki's juniors from Kainan, and acquainted himself with Ryonan's Koshino Hiroaki and Sendoh Akira. Meanwhile, the more time Maki spent with his otouto, the more he discovered his troubles.

Interlude One: Why Duo's going to Shohoku

_DING-DONG!_

Duo yawned, scratching the base of his disheveled braid. He had just woken up and was about to go to the kitchen to fix himself some brunch.

_DING-DONG!_

"Coming!" he yelled. _I wonder who's at the door to come by so early in the morning,_ he thought. There was some niggling at the back of his mind that it wasn't _that_ early anymore, but he dismissed it. He had just woken up. It _was_ too early for him.

He opened the door, and gaped at what he saw.

"Delivery for a Miss Maki! Please sign here!"

He still stood at the door, half naked in his pajama bottoms, gaping at the elaborate bouquet of a dozen red roses being presented by the delivery man. Somehow, he got through the motions in his daze, and he finally shut the door behind him, bouquet of flowers in hand. 

_What the hell?_

The door bell rang again, and the sound barely registered in Duo's mind. He sluggishly made his way to the door, but it already opened, admitting his older brother Maki, who had just returned from his daily jog. 

He blinked at the very manly, very sweaty sight of his onii-chan. Okay. He had seen lots and lots of gorgeously muscled, sexy, sweaty men in his life, and he must admit that his onii-chan was one sexy man. If they weren't related, he would have ogled and drooled... he wasn't really _ogling _and _drooling_ right then, but... _I bet everyone's just dying to jump him or something. Man. I never imagined he'd turn up like this. _Realizing his not-so-innocent thought, his cheeks flushed. _Bakayarou! That's 'nii-chan! _At the thought of having not-so-innocent thoughts for his older brother, he promptly turned green.

"Care to tell me what's up with you?" Maki asked evenly, only a faint trace of curiosity coloring his words. "And what's with the roses?" He was really curious now.

"Wha--??" he said inarticulately, struggling to gather his scattered brain. "What roses...? Oh...oh these! Yeah, they're roses!" He grinned nervously.

Maki threw his brother a penetrating look, then opted to let it pass. He looked at the bouquet carefully, and snatched the card dangling from it. He read aloud, "To Maki-san's imouto-chan (Gomen nasai. I still don't know what you want me to call you)." The corners of his lips turned up a bit. "They're for you," he confirmed, and looked at the card again, though he didn't need to look at who the roses were from. "From Kiyota Nobunaga." 

At this, Duo snapped out of his daze. "That wild-haired baka?!" He huffed. 

Maki continued, his tone sounding droll and slightly teasing, "He's asking if he could drop by to visit you. Jin knows his number. I'll ask him to give your acceptance..."

"NO!" Duo roared, and it was quite an intimidating roar. Maki, however, was unperturbed. "As annoying as he could be, I think we should straighten this out as soon as we can. We can't just let him think that you're a girl. These roses...too far." He was shaking his head.

Duo suddenly felt guilty. He _was _pissed off at that Kiyota, and he wanted revenge, but the roses... "Do you really think he's fallen in love with me, 'nii-chan?" he asked meekly. "Not that I'm being overconfident or anything," he added hastily.

"I'm not sure, but I've never seen him act like this before."

"Oh..."

_DING-DONG!_

"That's the third one in an hour," Duo noted dryly.

Maki opened the door, revealing a slightly flushed Jin. "Good. I don't have to make that call. Come in."

Jin's doe eyes were a bit wider as they took in Maki's appearance, which did not escape Duo's observant violet eyes.

The older teenager looked at his friend, a touch of concern in his eyes, and waved a hand before Jin's eyes.

The younger boy blinked, and smiled sheepishly. "Maki-san," he greeted, and looked at Duo, his smile faltering a bit. "Maki...-san?"

"-kun," Duo corrected testily.

The pale boy blinked in surprise, and then gaped in horror. "B-but--Kiyota..!"

Maki almost rolled his eyes. "Come in. We have some things to discuss."

*

Dinner was over, and their guests from Kainan High had already left. Everything went well. After Kiyota's initial shock, he took the revelation quietly, and profusely apologized to Duo for the embarrassment that his mistake had caused. 

Duo just nodded and smiled, relieved that he didn't have to show any body parts to prove that he really was male. "It's okay, Kiyota-san. I'm not angry anymore. We can still be friends, ne?" he had said.

"So," Maki ventured, as the two of them were cleaning up the dishes. "What did you think about the whole thing?"

"It was fine," he replied absently. "But I don't think I could take going to Kainan and being in the same school with him. It'd be just weird."

"I think so, too. I also think that it's the same with Kiyota. So, if it's not Kainan, where do you intend to go?"

"Uhmm...Ryonan? Isn't that where Koshino-san and Akira are attending?" At the thought of his spiky-haired acquaintance, Duo's cheeks flushed pink. He had to bite his lower lip and the insides of his cheeks to keep from grinning foolishly. _Akira's so...so perfect. He's so gorgeous and so... _And then an image of Koshino appeared in his mind; he couldn't help but acknowledge his good points. _I like Koshino-san's lips. They looked so kissable and he's sexy in this intense, intellectual way. I also liked the way he smiled and laughed. It made me feel as if I was experiencing something rare and precious...not that I don't like Akira's smile, or the way he chuckled at my jokes. I'm not sure what I like best about him, but I really like his voice. _He recalled the sound of Sendoh's voice, and his continuously deepening blush deepened further. _Oh God...do I have a crush on BOTH of them?!?! ...ACK! I'm acting like some shoujo manga character!!_

Unbeknownst to the braided Maki, there were dark clouds looming over his older brother. _He wants to go to Ryonan?! I won't allow it! If he goes to Ryonan, that hentai Sendoh will corrupt my otouto in just a short time. I'm not sure of Duo's preference, but Sendoh can charm the pants off a frigid homophobic angel if he chooses to. _Maki frowned at this. _Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but no one can blame me. After what he did to Kenji... _He admitted to himself that it was a long time ago, and that Sendoh had no idea that his little proposal of a one-night threesome would result to a raging, libidinous sex-maniac having a fetish for group sex that his ex-boyfriend, Fujima Kenji, had become. 

_Kenji-kun was so sweet back then, and he used to enjoy our quiet times together, just cuddling. But after that night with Sendoh..._

Maki shook his head, and focused on putting the plates that his otouto had finished washing in the dish dryer.

"So, where should I go to school, 'nii-chan?"

He blinked. "What was that again?"

Duo hmphed, still trying to will his blush away. "You weren't listening. I asked you if there's a better school for me to go to. I'm not familiar with the educational stuff in Kanagawa or anywhere else in Japan, so I'm not sure if I'm making the right choice in going to Ryonan just because I already know a couple of people there."

"Go to Shohoku," Maki blurted out without thinking. Then, as he thought of it more carefully, he nodded to himself. "Yes. Go to Shohoku." _Duo might kill me when he finds out how far Shohoku is from our house, but that will also prevent Sendoh from seeing him, right? Besides, after Duo's registered in Shohoku, he can't transfer within the year. If he chooses to transfer, Sendoh will be off to college. He can't possibly lay his slimy clutches on my otouto. _Maki nodded to himself again.

Duo was studying his onii-chan closely, and said, "You're really sure about Shohoku, huh? I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

* * *

The possible pairings are being revealed! Please review! Next up, the Shohoku boys' appearance! 


	5. Chapter Three: Early Morning Enemy

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: I'm sorry this came out so late. My SenKosh muse took over for a while...The Shohoku boys finally make an appearance!   
SPOILER ALERT: reference to what happened in the IH games.   
WARNING: To those who hate Haruko...sorry, but I don't hate her. I even like her, though she's not a kickass female character. So if you can stand watching the series, I think you'll be able to stomach the Sakuragi and Haruko scenes in this fic.  
ANNOUNCEMENT: I won't be online for...two weeks or more, because I really have to get my PC fixed.  
Happy reading! 

* * *

Slam Dunk 02  
(A SD/GW Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

The most practical choice for Maki Duo was to attend Kainan High, but due to forces that had been unforeseen--namely, the unwanted, misdirected advances of Kiyota Nobunaga, and the most definitely unwanted attention from the famous hentai Sendoh Akira (according to the aniki, of course)--the decision was for him to attend Shohoku High. Would he regret this decision?

Chapter Three: Early Morning Enemy

It was a beautiful spring day in Kanagawa as Maki Duo walked the rest of the way from the bus stop to his new school. It irritated him that he was going to repeat his freshman year...well, he didn't really finish his first year, but...he sighed. And it pissed him off that he was tricked into going to Shohoku by his onii-chan.

_Well, not exactly tricked, but...he could've told me that Shohoku's so damn FAR! No wonder 'tousan didn't believe me at first. Gah! I wish I insisted on going to Ryonan instead...or even Kainan. I'm sure I would've managed, even with Kiyota there. _In his vexation, he kicked a slightly bigger pebble too forcefully, and--

_CRASH!!_

Violet eyes blinked at the sound.

A dark-haired guy was sprawled before him on the concrete, with his bike underneath him, sporting a bleeding wound on the right side of his head.

"Were you the one who hit my head with a stone?"

Duo blinked again, and gaped disbelievingly at the boy before him. _What the hell? He sounds exactly like Heero!_

The boy stood up, his fox eyes narrowing. Duo noted that he was still taller than the boy by a couple of centimeters, and took comfort in that fact. 

"No one disturbs my sleep. You shall pay."

_Sleep?! Wasn't he biking? _"Hey, wait a minute!"

The dark-haired boy moved with lethal power, his foot aiming for Duo's stomach. If Duo wasn't used to being attacked, he wouldn't have been able to dodge. "Hey, cool it there, will ya? Sheesh!"

But the other boy wasn't listening, hell bent on making him pay. Another swift kick was aimed for Duo's shin, which he was able to dodge again, but the other boy was getting closer to hitting him.

The faint but distinct sound of a school bell made the incensed boy stop.

"You shall pay later."

And with that, the boy picked up his bike, and zoomed away.

"What was _that_ all about?" Duo wondered.

He continued to walk, whistling to himself. It was several seconds more when his brain registered the sound of a school bell.

"K'SO!!!! I'M LATE!"

*

Sakuragi Hanamichi arrived, expecting the whole student body to fuss over him and ask him about his back injury. He grinned to himself, envisioning the questions, and how he would answer them.

_Person from Broadcasting Club: Sakuragi-san, is your back injury completely healed? Are you in top shape? Will you be able to lead the Shohoku team this year as the center in place of Akagi-sempai, Oh Great Tensai, Sakuragi-san?_

_Sakuragi: (super deforms) NYAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHH!!!!!! Of course, I am well. I must lead the team to victory, because I fear that without The Tensai's efforts (points to self), the Basketball Club will only be left with common people and will not be able to win any games for the school. Ryochin and that Kitsune, considering their basketball skills, are no genius like me. They need me to win. NYAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHH!!!!!!_

The red-haired monkey--er, boy spotted the Sakuragi guntan and made his way towards them. He waved at them, grinning, but his army seemed not to notice him, as they were discussing something else. He frowned.

"From where did you hear that, Youhei? Are you really sure?"

"I just heard it from some Kainan students. I'm not really sure."

"What I heard was that Maki Shinichi's imouto came back, not an otouto."

"Oi! What are you guys talking about?" Sakuragi finally butted in.

Takamiya turned to him, and replied, "Just this rumor about Maki Shinichi's brother."

"Or sister."

"What if she's a looker, ne? What does she look like, I wonder?"

"Baka ne. You're not even sure if it's really a sister."

"Why are you wasting your time on a rumor?" the redhead asked. Then, contradicting his earlier words, he said, "A sibling of that oldy Maki would only look like Oldy himself: old. NYAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHH!!!!!!"

Sakuragi was still chortling until he almost choked when the school bell rang. The five of them quickly made their way to their classrooms, eager for the start of class as second years, unlike the usual.

*

It was another bustling lunch break in Shohoku High's cafeteria. Since it was the first day of school, the students were livelier and noisier than usual.

The noise didn't bother Miyagi Ryota, team captain of Shohoku Basketball Club, for he was concentrated in discussing important matters with his teammates. 

"We're in a fix," Miyagi said, worrying his lower lip a little. "We're still a strong team, but after Akagi left, it was like our team lost one of its limbs."

Ayako, meanwhile, was gaping at her classmate. "Wow, Ryota," she said, amazed. "I rarely hear you talk so seriously."

At the unexpected comment, Miyagi blushed. "Eheheh...Ayako-chan..."

Yasuda Yasuharu, another year three, looked amused at the sudden transformation of their captain, but was also bothered by their current problem. "We barely made it to the final four spot last winter; it was too bad that Sakuragi hadn't recovered fully from his back injury, or else we wouldn't have lost so badly to Kainan. Shoyo and Ryonan beat us, even with Mitsui-sempai still playing. He's gone off to college now, and even with Rukawa and Sakuragi--"

"The juniors are coming along nicely, I think," was Shizoaki Tetsushi's input. Ishii-kun, Sasaoka-kun, and Kuwata-kun trained hard for a year. I'm sure that we'll be able to make good use of them this coming season."

Miyagi looked thoughtful, finally overcoming his momentary flustered state, care of Ayako's teasing. "They _have_ improved--we all have improved, but we need more formidable members if we want to be number one in the Inter High this year." His gaze then darted around him, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "Where the hell are Hanamichi and Rukawa? The other year twos? Didn't I call for a team meeting?!"

"Oi, Ryochin!" a familiar voice hollered, and the five seniors turned to see Sakuragi Hanamichi bounding up to them in his usual cocky gait. "Sorry I'm late. Ookusu dragged us to look for Maki oyaji's sister in the year one floor--"

"Maki oyaji?" Ayako blinked. "You mean, Maki Shinichi also has a sister here in Shohoku?"

"Eh," Kakuta Satoru scratched his nape. "So he has twin siblings."

Yasuda nodded. "Fraternal twins, then, since I heard the other's a brother, ne?"

Miyagi was staring at each of them confusedly. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he asked, still looking utterly lost. "Are you sure? Why didn't I know of this?"

Sakuragi just grinned at him and said, "Oi, don't be so hard on yourself, Ryochin. Even I, tensai that I am, only heard about it this morning."

"That's it!" Ayako exclaimed. "That solves our problem then!"

Just then, Akagi Haruko walked up to them. "What solves the problem? We have a problem?"

Sakuragi immediately super-deformed upon seeing the girl. "Ha-haruko-san..."

Haruko smiled in greeting. "Sakuragi-kun."

Miyagi ignored the redhead's behavior, already used to seeing the other boy fall over himself whenever he saw Haruko. Instead, he voiced out what he gauged was the question in everyone's mind. "What do you mean, Ayako-chan?"

The other girl was smiling hugely at them, pleased with her thinking. "Don't you get it? We recruit Maki Shinichi's brother into the team!"

A light bulb snapped on in Miyagi's head. "Ah...great thinking, Ayako-chan!"

Yasuda, Shizoaki, and Kakuta blinked at them, uncertain. "Ne," Yasuda ventured first, sounding a bit nervous. "What if Maki Shinichi's brother isn't as talented?"

"OR half as talented as his aniki?"

"What if he doesn't even play basketball?"

"What if he's really short?"

"So what if he's short?!" the captain cut in defensively.

"What if he's a nerd?"

"What if he's part of a gang?"

"NYAHAHAHAHAH! I'm sure he isn't a tensai like me!"

"What if he's a doaho?" a newcomer remarked.

"Rukawa-kun," Haruko greeted, no longer easy to blush at the sight of the boy. "How long have you been there?"

Rukawa didn't answer. Instead, he slapped the back of Sakuragi's head, hard.

"Itai! Bastard kitsune!"

"That's for waking me up with your idiot cackling."

"Why you--!" The redhead launched himself at Rukawa, and the other three seniors tried to restrain him.

"SAKURAGI HANAMICHI!" and down landed the dreaded fan.

"Itai! Ayako-san..." he whined.

Ayako frowned as the bandage that Rukawa's hair nearly covered completely caught her attention. "Hey, Rukawa. What happened to you?"

Rukawa huffed. "Some braided monkey's fault," was all he said.

When they settled down, with Sakuragi muttering about idiot foxes and biased fan-toting females, Ayako began again. "You all have a point, Ya-chan, Shio-chan, Ka-chan. So, I guess we'll have to see for ourselves first if he's worth recruiting."

"And if he turns out to be one of those that Yasuda-san, Shiozaki-san, and Kakuta-san had mentioned, then there are many first years who might have the needed potential," Haruko finished.

"So," the captain clapped his hands. "I give the job of scouting for potential players to Ishii, Sasaoka, and Kuwata, since they didn't attend this meeting. Where the hell are they?"

"Oh. I forgot." Sakuragi made a peace sign. Sasaoka and Kuwata told me they had to go to the library. As for Ishii, I haven't seen him."

"I saw him in the clinic," supplied Rukawa who, surprisingly, had not fallen back to sleep.

Haruko raised her hand enthusiastically. "I want to scout, too. I have an eye for that. I'll tell them later about our task--"

The bell rang, cutting off Haruko's next words. They all waved goodbye, sans Rukawa, who had wordlessly left even before the bell rang.

Students filed to the huge swinging doors, still chatting amiably to each other.

"So, Maki-kun," Hilde Schbeiker engaged her new friend into another conversation. "Why don't you tryout for the basketball team? I heard Shohoku team is good--"

Duo sighed. "Schbeiker-san," he drew out the honorific with great care, which made the girl wince. "Didn't we agree to call each other by first name?"

"Hai, hai, Duo. I'm sorry. It's just habit, but I'll really try, since I'm also asking you to call me Hilde."

The braided boy smiled. "Great."

"So how about it?"

"What?"

'"Shohoku Basketball Club. I bet you'll really be great!" Hilde enthused. "You're so tall, plus you're Maki Shinichi's brother, ne? I heard he's a really awesome player! He's very popular here in Kanagawa, even in other prefectures. He's already some sort of legend, you know. And he's also popular in Osaka. Did I mention that I just transferred from there?"

Duo nodded. "Hai, you mentioned that. So, 'nii-chan's really great, huh?" he asked, discreetly evading the question.

Hilde giggled, hiding her face behind her books.

"Nani?"

The short-haired girl giggled some more, which made him more confused and exasperated. "What's the matter?"

When Hilde got hold of herself, she answered. "You're the only guy I know who calls his aniki 'onii-chan'. Doesn't your brother deck you horribly for that? Oh hey. We're at the classroom already."

True enough, room 1-2 was right before them. 

_Maybe I should've listened to 'nii-chan about that aniki-oniichan thing. Oh, what the heck. I still like the sound of 'nii-chan, so I'm calling him that, even if people laugh at me. _He looked at the girl, who seemed to have forgotten that she was pestering him about something. He was relieved that she forgot the Basketball Club topic. 

*

Classes were dismissed that day, and students streamed out of their classrooms, eager to get out and relax. In the second ear students' floor, five students hurried out of their classrooms to fulfill their missions in the first year's floor. Four of them were Ishii Kentarou, Sasaoka Satoro, Kuwata Toki, and Akagi Haruko, and all of them were intent on finding the rumored otouto of Maki, and recruiting members for the Shohoku Basketball Club. The other one, awake unlike the usual, had a debt to collect from a certain braided baka.

"I wonder what he looks like," Haruko thought aloud.

Sasaoka looked at her and shrugged. "Maybe he looks mature like his aniki."

"So, basically we're looking for a first year who looks like a third year," Kuwata confirmed.

Ishii rolled his eyes behind his thick lenses. "I think it's best to ask."

Haruko nodded eagerly at the suggestion. "We split up and ask for him in every section, then we meet up back here. OK?"

"OK," the other three chorused.

*

"So, how about it?"

"How about what?"

"Joining the Basketball Club!"

Duo sighed inwardly. He discovered that Hilde was very persistent, and when there was an issue left unresolved, she would bring it up every time until it was settled. _I can't evade this forever. I'm tired of dancing around the topic because of her pushiness. I'll just tell her the truth--_

"Hey you."

Duo's head snapped up at attention to the very familiar voice. _Heero?!_ "Oh," was all he uttered when he didn't see his friend. Then, his eyes widened. "You?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the dark-haired boy.

At his words, Hilde frowned. She tugged at her braided classmate's sleeve. "Duo? You know him?"

"He's the weirdo that attacked me this morning!"

"You attacked me first, yarou."

"Look, I didn't mean it. It was an accident, okay? I was preoccupied and I didn't know what I was doing! I'm really sorry, man," Duo said, explaining and apologizing sincerely.

But the other boy advanced on him still, and the look on his face made Hilde nervous. "Uhm, Duo? I think we better run."

"Hey, look, man. I said I was sorry." Duo was getting irritated. He already apologized--what did the guy want? Beat him to a pulp?

"You disturbed my sleep. You're going to pay...in court."

Violet eyes bulged. "Nani?! You don't have to go that far! I'm a minor--we're both minors! I don't have a lawyer! I don't want to be convicted like this!"

Hilde facevaulted. "I don't think that's what he meant."

The other boy wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Basketball. One-on-one right now, at the gym." 

He walked away, leaving the two first years looking grim.

"Duo, I know you can beat him," the girl said encouragingly, but it was laced with a teensy bit of doubt. She noticed how tall the other guy was. He was almost as tall as Duo, plus he was bulkier, no doubt from well-developed muscles. Her friend, on the other hand, looked a bit frail compared to the other boy. Duo was tall, yes, but he wasn't as muscular. 

Duo only looked at the retreating figure. _My first day of school. I vowed to forget basketball, but I promise this is my last game. I don't want to play anymore, but...who does he think he is?! I said I was sorry! I'd've taken it better if he'd just thrown a punch at me, and then bygones. But no! He just had to challenge me to a game! Well, I'll show him! He thinks he's so good...Well, he picked the wrong sport to challenge me in! _"I'm going to show him," he muttered, his old fire back.

*

Duo's first day of school began horribly, with him earning an enemy, and being tardy first thing in the morning. Meanwhile, the Shohoku Basketball Club members found themselves in need of stronger teammates. Will Rukawa's one-on-one challenge lure out the ball player in Duo? Will his skills be the strength that their team needed? 

* * *

Finished May 29, 2002 Please tell me what you think. Thanks!


	6. Chapter Four: Last Year's Super Rookies

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: Yatta! I finally have my computer back!! ^___^V I apologize for neglecting to note why Duo always thinks Heero is present whenever Rukawa talks. It's because they have the same seiyuu (voice actor), Midorikawa Hikaru. I thought it would be freaky for Duo to hear two people with the same voice, hence I included it in the fic. Also, I hope you don't mind the...er, sentences in CAPS. Plus, I apologize to die-hard Rukawa fans. (hides) Enjoy the roller coaster ride, minna!

== To those of you who review, I reply to your comments through the add review thingy. 

* * *

Slam Dunk 02  
(A GW/SD Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

Duo was challenged to a one-on-one by Rukawa Kaede, whom he didn't know was the ace player of Shohoku Basketball Team. His passion for the game burned once more, but he swore to himself that it will be the last game that he would play. Meanwhile, in another school, two players were getting ready for that day's basketball training.

Chapter Four: Last Year's Super Rookies

"First day of senior year, and now this," Sendoh said to his best friend, fighting the yawn that was determined to break his jaws.

Koshino rolled his eyes at his friend. "Are you complaining about training? This isn't like you."

"I'm not complaining. Just stating the obvious," the Ryonan ace player replied, as they entered the gym. "Hey, guys," he greeted everyone.

"Sendoh-san, Koshino-san," Aida Hikoichi greeted cheerfully, while the rest echoed his greeting.

Koshino only nodded in acknowledgement, surveying his surroundings. He noticed that there were a number of hopeful boys that wanted to be in the team, and all of them were staring in awe at Sendoh. This made him smile wanly. _I'm not surprised_.

He followed his spiky-haired friend to the locker room, wondering to himself how Maki Shinichi's brother, Duo, was faring for his first day of Japanese schooling in six years.

"I wonder how Duo's doing," Sendoh said, unwittingly voicing Koshino's thoughts.

His friend's uncanny ability to know exactly what he was thinking never failed to amaze Koshino, and it took him a while to respond. "I heard he went to Shohoku."

The taller player whirled around to face him, a cute surprised expression on his face. "Eh? I thought he went to Kainan."

"It's the obvious choice," Koshino agreed. "But surprisingly, he's enrolled in Shohoku. Personally, if my school was that far from my house, I'd rather travel further into the mountains and live the rest of my life as a hermit."

Sendoh was nodding at him, still trying to get to grips with the concept of Duo going to Shohoku and Koshino as a hermit. The thoughts were making him a bit dazed. "I don't get it," he said finally. "If he didn't want to go to Kainan, there's always Ryonan, right?"

The other boy was about to say "Right" when he remembered the way Maki regarded his friend that day in the restaurant. _I think I know why Duo didn't go to Ryonan..._

"It's just too bad," Sendoh continued as he was putting on his T-shirt. "I really like him. If he were our schoolmate then it'd be easy for me to get to know him better."

_I think that's exactly what Maki-san didn't want to happen. Sendoh's other reputation precedes him just as his popularity in basketball does. _

"Hey, you're quiet, Hiro-kun."

He shook his head, toeing on his basketball shoes. "You might still have a chance, Akira. He will pass by our school everyday, and we'll surely see more of him if he decides to join the Shohoku team."

Sendoh beamed at him. "Aa. You're right, as always. Anyway, don't you think Maki-san spoils him a bit too much?"

Koshino looked at his friend inquisitively. "What makes you say so?"

"He lets him call him 'onii-chan'. I almost laughed the first time I heard it from him, but Maki-san was looking at me threateningly so I just coughed."

"Yes, you coughed," he retorted dryly. "I remember now. You snorted something into my soup."

"I said I was sorry!"

Koshino gestured bygones, and said, "Who wouldn't find it hard to get angry at Duo?"

To which Sendoh shrugged. "True."

_I wonder how good he is at basketball._

"I wonder how good he is at basketball," Sendoh mused, echoing his friend's thoughts once again.

_Okay. That's twice in one hour. This is really getting to me now..._

*

Hilde bounced after her friend as they made their way to the basketball gym. "I know you're gonna beat that guy, Duo. I mean, he may be almost as tall, but who is he, anyway? Besides, you've played in your last school, right? I mean, it's not as if you don't know how to play basketball, but you could've fooled me back there, mistaking the court that he was saying for the court with the lawyers and all. It's a common mistake, though. I mean, he _was_ pretty vague with what he said. I just know you're gonna beat that guy, Duo."

Duo stopped suddenly, and the girl nearly ran smack into his towering frame. 

"What?!" she said, near to shrieking and eyes wide.

He blinked slowly at her, as if she were a type of specimen that puzzled him. "You're more nervous about this than I am, huh?"

She was about to open her mouth to say that she wasn't nervous and that she believed in his capabilities. It was true that she was confident in her friend's ball playing skills, but it was on the level of strong faith, really, because she had never seen him play. The other guy, though, scared her.

She _was_ nervous as hell.

"Don't mind me," she said. "Oi, is that the gym?"

*

Miyagi grinned at the expressionless face of Rukawa. "OK. We'll delay the practice, but I'm having Aya-chan time it, so that we won't consume too much time."

Rukawa just shrugged.

"Oh, and I make the rules, too, since I'm captain and being generous to let you use the gym."

Rukawa just shrugged again.

"Yoshi! Where's the poor sucker, anyway?"

Rukawa's blue eyes narrowed as he pinpointed his target, who was standing by the doors with his female friend. "There."

Miyagi turned, and so did Ayako and the rest of the team, the year twos still not present.

"He's tall," Yasuda commented.

Ayako appraised the first year. The boy reminded her of someone, but she couldn't tell who exactly. "He might have the ability," she said to herself.

Rukawa heard her, and he turned his empty gaze at her. "Traitor."

Ayako sweatdropped and tried to supplicate her junior. "Eheheheheh! Rukawa! Of course I'm on your side!"

It was then that the "poor sucker" walked up to them. "Hello," he greeted, feeling a bit uneasy.

They all just nodded to him with faint smiles on their faces.

The captain cleared his throat. "Game rules. Both of you will play for six minutes, half court; guy with the higher score wins. Two of you okay with that?"

Rukawa and Duo nodded.

"Oh, and no extensions. I want the game over quickly in case Anzai-sensei decides to drop by."

"No need for extensions," Rukawa said, his eyes challenging Duo to disagree.

Duo just rolled his eyes. 

"Warm-up. Just tell Aya-chan when you're ready."

The two picked their spots where to do their warm-ups, preferring to be as far from each other as possible.

*

Ayako first made sure that Rukawa wasn't looking before she sneaked to the braided first year's side. "Hey," she greeted, smiling.

Duo looked up from his stretching. "Aren't you on his side?" he said, a note of suspicion entering his voice.

The senior girl only laughed it off, and retorted, "I don't side with anyone. Rukawa might be our team's ace, and I'm fond of him as a brother just like I am with the others, but I stay neutral in these things. I'm just curious as to what brought on this sudden one-on-one, because he only challenges star players like himself."

The braided boy blinked, now doing jumping jacks in a relative daze. _Is she aware that she practically handed information about that weirdo Rukawa in a silver plate?_

Ayako noticed the look on his face, and smirked. "Actually, I only said that because I'm pretty sure that Rukawa's gonna beat you. No offense. It just doesn't seem that you know what you're doing, agreeing on a match against him. Are you sure you want to go against Mr. Nerves-of-Steel there?" she asked, gesturing to where Rukawa was doing his own warm-ups.

Duo gave up on trying to figure her out. He snorted. "Sure, just to get him off my case. Been chasing me this morning, saying I must pay for disturbing his sleep. Weirdo."

She chuckled. "That's Rukawa Kaede for you. By the way, what's your name?"

"Maki Duo. Yoroshiku."

Ayako was a bit stunned. _Is he who I think he is? ...Interesting. _"I'm Ayako, manageress of Shohoku Basketball Team. Yoroshiku, Maki-kun." She held out her hand, which he shook, saying, "Please call me Duo, Ayako-san. I'm not used to being called Maki-kun."

She nodded, not noticing the looming figure behind her. "Oh. OK."

"Traitor," Rukawa hissed.

A fed up look stole over her face, and she finally made use of her paper fan.

_WHACK!_

"..."

"We may have been schoolmates in junior high, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let your insolence pass twice!" she scolded the shrinking Shohoku ace. She whacked him on the head again for good measure.

"NYAHAHAHAHAH! Let the kitsune have it, Ayako-san!" Sakuragi's boisterous voice echoed throughout the whole gym. He had come in late for training, and he was dreading the punishment that he would get, when Miyagi informed him that the training was going to be delayed in favor of the one-on-one between Rukawa and the "poor sucker", to quote the captain's exact term. "I didn't think that you still had it in you to hit kitsune nowadays! I was beginning to think that he's your favorite! Ayako-san, I'm so proud of you!"

_WHACK!_

"Itai... K'so! What'd you do that for?!"

"Urusai!"

Duo gaped at them, horrified with his discovery. _I'm surrounded by weirdoes... 'Nii-chan, I'm gonna get you for this!_

*

The only sound in the gym was the thumping of a lone basketball. Everyone looked on wordlessly as the game began.

Sneakers squeaked on the polished gym floor, and more dribbling noises resounded. The spectators, which consisted only of the team's year threes, Sakuragi, and Hilde, watched with bated breath, highly anticipating the outcome of the game, and also observing the newcomer's notable defense on Rukawa.

"Eh, Ryochin," the redhead whispered. He wasn't sure why he was whispering, but breaking the tension felt wrong somehow. "Want to bet on who's gonna win?"

Miyagi sneered, casting a devious look at Sakuragi. "Are you serious? I'm pretty sure you're not putting your money on Rukawa."

Sakuragi scowled. "Of course not. I am the Tensai, and Tensai does not bet on poor kitsune--"

"Nor does he bet on poor suckers."

"Are you betting or what?!"

"Ten thousand yen says Rukawa wins."

Sakuragi scoffed. "Make it twenty thousand. Braid-kun's gonna win."

At this, Miyagi frowned. "You're so sure of the poor sucker, eh? Say, do you know anything about that guy? Why are you so conf--"

The gym doors noisily slid open, making the others quickly turn their heads to look.

"RUKAWA-KU~~N!!!"

"Kami-sama, not again," Ayako muttered to herself.

Rukawa, meanwhile, was startled by the sudden racket, but it didn't show on his face. 

"Oi~~! Braid-kun's got the ball!"

Hilde shrieked. "Go, Duo!"

"K'so," Rukawa grumbled, more irritated at himself for losing concentration than at Duo and the Rukawa Brigade. He picked up his defense, vowing not to let his opponent slip past him a second time. He studied his opponent's movements, letting the ball's rhythm take over his senses, and prepared for a steal.

_I won't let you, yarou._

He saw the signs--the other boy would try to do a feint. When he was sure that his opponent was going to do a feint to the left, he blocked to the right. "Fool."

"RU-KA-WA! RU-KA-WA! Love me, love me, RU-KA-WA!"

The other boy did the unexpected then. He shot a three-pointer.

Rukawa snorted. _He didn't even prepare the shot. It'll never go in. _He quickly ran to position himself for the rebound.

Yasuda's mouth hung open. "Is it...is it going in?"

"RU-KA-WA! RU-KA-WA! Love me, love me, RU-KA-WA!"

"What's going on?" Haruko wondered aloud as she, Kuwata, Ishii, and Sasaoka entered the gym, just in time to see the perfect arc the basketball made.

Hilde worried her lower lip. _Go in, go in, go in..._

The ball swished cleanly into the basket, disturbing only the net.

The gym fell silent--the Rukawa Brigade gawking at the shot.

Sakuragi jumped to his feet, his fists resting on his hips. "NYAHAHAHAHAH! That's it, Braid-kun! Show the yarou what a worthless piece of fox meat he is! Ah, Ryochin! Pay up!"

Upon hearing the redhead, Duo super-deformed and sweatdropped. "Braid-kun?"

"Doaho."

Miyagi gritted his teeth. "Baka ne! The game's not yet over!"

Hilde almost jumped in delight. "I knew you could do it, Duo!"

"Nice shot!" Ayako called out, flashing Duo an OK sign, and Rukawa was promptly at her side, in super-deform mode. 

_WHACK!_

Rukawa glared. "I wasn't saying anything."

Ayako huffed. "You were going to."

Duo grinned, and flashed a V-sign at Hilde and Ayako.

"NANI?!?! He's flirting with Aya-chan! Why, that idiot...!"

"Ho ho ho..."

The rest of the team froze, except Sakuragi. "A--Anzai-sensei...?!"

"Oyaji!" The redhead walked to the corner where their coach stood, and pulled on the old man's double chin in greeting.

_WHACK!_

"AYAKO-SAN!!"

"Stop being disrespectful to Anzai-sensei!"

The old man's lips curved again in a perfect O. "Ho ho ho..."

The captain was in front of their coach in a flash, embarrassed at appearing irresponsible to the old man. "Gomen nasai, Anzai-sensei. I'll stop the game and move it after training--"

Rectangular spectacles flashed at Miyagi, blinding him for a second. "Calm yourself, Miyagi-kun. It's the first day of training. This will only take a short while?"

"H-hai!" he replied, relief flooding his veins. "Only six minutes. Rukawa insisted on this game, and--"

"Ho. Sit down, Miyagi-kun. It is an interesting game, with Rukawa-kun and Maki-kun against each other."

Miyagi blinked. "Maki-kun?"

Anzai-sensei nodded. "Maki Duo, number one rookie and highest scorer of last year's California State High School Basketball Tournament."

The team captain promptly paled, already mourning his loss to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi thumped him, hard. "You heard the oyaji, Ryochin. Prepare your twenty thousand yen!"

A team member offered a chair to the white-haired coach, and soon Anzai-sensei was sipping tea from his ever-present green mug.

Ayako went back to her position. "Yoshi! Continue!"

It was Rukawa's ball again, his teeth gnashing in denial and determination. _I've worked hard for this. I've beaten Sendoh, and I've beaten Mitsui-sempai. I've played against the best in Japan, and I won't lose so easily to this fool. _"I'm going to beat you," he hissed to Duo.

"RU-KA-WA! RU-KA-WA! Love me, love me, RU-KA-WA!"

"I think they believe so, too," was the amused reply.

The grin on his opponent's face reminded him a lot of another smiley-face from another school. His eyes narrowed further. "Yarou."

Duo just raised his eyebrows, smile still in place.

*

Six minutes were only a short time. It was a one-on-one game, but the two players on court competed as if they were in a major tournament.

Students quickly got wind of the game, and soon the gym's sidelines were occupied with audience, mostly Rukawa fans.

The earsplitting cheering for his opponent made Duo's ears ring. _I've never heard cheering this loud for only one person. He really must be something. _He was sweating from the exertion, the noise, and the heat of the crowded gym. His braid, which used to reassure him when it bounced on his back, felt like luggage that he wanted to get rid of. 

The score was at a standstill for two minutes already, with him leading at 7-5. One would have assumed victory, what with the time remaining, but he knew fully well that in basketball, nothing is certain when time was still ticking.

"Last thirty seconds!" Ayako hollered over the din of the gym.

"Offense! Offense! Offense!"

"RU-KA-WA! RU-KA-WA! Love me, love me, RU-KA-WA!"

"Go! Rukawa-kun!"

"DON'T LET THE KITSUNE SCORE, BRAID-KUN!"

He was both reassured and mortified by the cheer, still not feeling okay with being called "Braid-kun".

He heard his opponent snort. "The doaho seems to like you, _Braid-kun_."

"Shut u--"

It was then that Rukawa charged, making use of his bulkier frame to his advantage. Duo held up his hands, determined to block the shorthaired boy.

"Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven! Ten!"

Duo's gaze blazed even more as he figured out what Rukawa planned to do. _He's going to dunk._

"Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!"

To Rukawa, Duo looked too fired up--his violet eyes said so, and he expected him to try to fly-swat the ball from his hands. He soared in the air, expecting the other boy to be airborne like he was. _That's it, block me, and I'm going to make sure that you foul._

"Four! Three! Two!"

He blinked. _Where is he?!_

Rukawa made the slam dunk, which earned deafening cheers from the crowd. He would have felt the same self-satisfaction whenever he made a dunk, but he just felt empty as he stared at Duo, who was grinning up at him. "Nice dunk!" the braided boy shouted up at him, and flashed a V-sign, thoroughly spiting him.

"One! Zero!"

Ayako sounded the whistle, signaling the end of the game. The score was tied, 7-7.

He let go of the ring, and landed right next to Duo, who was smiling a friendly smile that he found even more sickening than Sendoh's. He never thought that he could both hate and respect a person more than he hated and (secretly) respected the doaho, but he had just discovered that it was indeed possible. The intensity of his opposing feelings made him feel like wiping the smile off Duo's face and pummeling him to the ground until no one recognized him for months. He was already far from rational thinking, and his fist flew, landing on its intended target.

*

"Anzai-sensei."

"Rukawa-kun," the white-haired man acknowledged, then took a sip from his mug. "What do you have to say for your earlier behavior?"

Rukawa bowed low. "Gomen nasai. What I did was unprofessional and inexcusable. I will understand if you remove me from the team."

"Is that what you want?"

"No. Of course not, Anzai-sensei."

"Very well, you won't be punished this time. I believe you have learned some very valuable things today."

Rukawa looked up. He clearly had expected to be dismissed from the team. He stated the only thing that came to his mind, "Accept defeat gracefully..."

"Oh, but you didn't lose, Rukawa-kun. The game was a tie, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but--" then it suddenly all came together. "I underestimated him," he admitted, his eyes widening in the slightest. "I didn't expect him to do well--"

"And?"

He blinked, and lowered his head in shame. "I assumed that my abilities are far more superior than his."

The coach nodded. "Aa. Always remember what happened today, Rukawa-kun, especially when you reach your goal."

Rukawa nodded wordlessly, his mind mulling over what his coach had said. _Anzai-sensei is right. My goal is to be the best in Japan and go to U.S. and be a better basketball player. I'm sure that along the way, there will be others who will play as well as I do, and that they'll be my competition. The way I treated this one-on-one might be my own downfall if I repeat it in the future. _His eyes caught sight of Duo, who was with the rest of the team, looking very at ease as if...he belonged. _He's good, I'll give him that. He has some moves that I haven't mastered. Maybe...maybe he can help me be a better basketball player, and in return, I can help him improve some of his techniques, too. _"I want him in our team," he said decisively.

"Ho ho ho. I was just about to tell you the same thing."

He stood up, and bowed again to Anzai-sensei. "Domo arigato gozaimasu, Anzai-sensei."

The old man nodded approvingly to him. "Go on and ask him. No time like the present."

*

Rukawa walked up to the group, feeling a subtle twinge of jealousy at the sight of Duo and his teammates looking so happy, just hanging out and joking around. He'd never been like that with his teammates and he wondered if he could be more part of the team, not only during tournaments. Then, with a jolt of denial, he thought to himself, _I don't need to be friends with them, too...right? I can't stand spending time with that doaho. Miyagi-sempai and the rest are okay, but I really don't want to spend more time with the doaho than I have to._

"Oi, Kitsune!" Sakuragi called out to him grimly. "Did you come here to apologize to Braid-kun?"

There was an indignant yelp of protest. "Sakuragi-san! Stop calling me that!"

"None of your business, doaho."

"HOW DARE YOU! If you're not here to apologize, then what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be suspended?!?!"

"Iie. I'm not being punished."

The redhead made some rambunctious, unintelligible protests about favoritism and that he should be suspended, but Rukawa wasn't listening. Miyagi and the rest tried to restrain him when he got more incensed from the lack of reaction from Rukawa.

_Tell him what you just told Anzai-sensei. _

He tried to form the words, but it was easier said than done. Asking the other boy to join the team required him to lower his pride a little bit, and he wasn't used to that. _Say it!_ He gnashed his teeth in determination, finally voicing the first three words out of seven aloud. "I want you..." The other words seemed lodged in his throat, and he restrained himself from coughing because it would make him look like an idiot or worse, like a gaping poisoned fish like what the redheaded doaho was imitating now.

Miyagi heard the words, and his mouth fell open in horror. _Did he just say...?!?! YIKES! I knew he's been challenging that Sendoh too much! He's turned into another hentai! _An image of the stoic Rukawa hitting on each one of them during practice and flashing sparkly eyes at them during games made him turn a sickly shade of gray, then green, and then blue. Ayako, meanwhile, had a stunned look on her face, her skin a garish white.

Rukawa frowned. _What's wrong with these people? Why did they suddenly turn into gaping...people? _He blinked in wonderment. _I didn't think Kakuta-san and Yasuda-san's eyes could actually go wide like that. _He backtracked on what could have caused such reactions, and what he said hit him with full force.

The first thing he did was go into super-deform mode. Then turn a scary shade of blue-gray, and then hightailed it to the nearest comfort room. Finally, inside said comfort room, he choked, coughed, choked, wheezed, and lastly, hurled the contents of his stomach onto a sink. 

Duo stared in space, dumbfounded, while Hilde and Haruko's eyes threatened to jump out of their sockets.

"Ho ho ho..."

The group didn't notice their coach had come up to them. Anzai-sensei knew of what happened with Rukawa's attempt at asking the young Maki Duo to join the team, and when he heard what Rukawa said, he nearly snorted tea back into his green mug. _I guess I'll have to clear up some things. _The old man adjusted the position of his glasses, and hohohoed again. When they still ignored him, he blinked. 

...

"Ho...ho...ho....?"

Sakuragi was teetering on his chair, still looking poisoned. Anzai-sensei went to him, eerily fascinated by the precarious balance of his chair, and poked his shoulder lightly.

Sakuragi crashed to the floor, and at the impact, he jumped up in a flash. He looked around wildly, not knowing what he was looking for. He vaguely remembered that the kitsune said something or did something, but he couldn't remember everything anymore because the utter shock put him in a state of denial that effectively muddled with his memory. When he saw the state his teammates were in, his eyes went round. 

There was a full five seconds of silence before--

"NYAHAHAHAHAH!!!" The redhead had super-deformed and was rolling around the floor. HAHAHAHAHAHAHH!! RYOCHIN!!! YOU LOOK LIKE A STINKIN' CORPSE!! NYAHAHAHAHAH!!!"

The hysterical riot that Sakuragi was making brought the others out of their daze. When Miyagi heard the "stinkin' corpse" comment, he roared, "NANI?!?!?! You MONKEY! I'll show you stinkin' corpse!" With that, he lunged at the redhead, who was still rolling around the floor, and threw kicks and punches until a cloud of dust surrounded them. 

Kuwata pulled on his hair in frustration at seeing his most respected teammates acting like a bunch of rabid wild animals. "Ack! I don't wanna watch!"

"That's it," Duo announced, as he stood up resolutely. "You guys are nice, but you're too weird. I'm outta here."

"Duo?!" Hilde also stood up and tried to catch up with her friend. 

"Maki-kun."

Duo kept on walking, with Hilde right at his heels. He heard the name, but it didn't register that the name pertained to him. He was just about to slip through the open doors, when he suddenly found his way being blocked by Ayako. "Ayako-san...?"

_WHACK!_

"Itai!" he glared at the team manageress, rubbing his head gingerly. "What'd you do that for?!"

Ayako crossed her arms and scolded, "Anzai-sensei called you! You shouldn't disrespect him!"

"But no one called me!" he shouted back defensively. "I didn't hear--" Then it dawned on him. "..Oh." Grinning sheepishly, he walked up to the coach and bowed profusely. "Gomen nasai, Anzai-sensei."

"Ho ho ho! It's okay, Maki-kun. Why don't we sit down? We have some things to talk about."

*

By the time Rukawa mustered enough gall to go back to the gym and invite Duo into the team, Anzai-sensei had already explained what Rukawa had been about to say.

"So, what is your decision, Maki-kun?"

Duo gawked at the twelve pairs of expectant eyes that were pinned on him, waiting for his answer. He felt like shrinking so small until he was undetectable, but he had to give them his reply. _They want me to be in their team so much, but what will I do? I swore I won't play anymore... Basketball's a great sport, and it helped me with my depression when Mom couldn't spend enough time with me because of work. It brought me and 'nii-chan closer when we were younger, and those bullies and racists in middle school didn't affect me anymore when I started believing in what I could do. Playing my best showed me that I could be better, that I'm not worthless. _

The memories of his team flashed before his eyes...their team captain and center, Zechs Merquise, who had taught him the essence of teamwork and trust; their vice captain and small forward, Chang Wufei, who had always been his pillar of strength; their power forward and substitute center, Trowa Barton, who had taught him that the way to defeat an opponent was to dig deeper than surface emotions and shield yourself off; their tactician and substitute shooting guard, Quatre Winner, whose perceptiveness and strategic approach to basketball brushed off on him; and lastly, their point guard and ex-best rookie, Heero Yuy, who nearly drove him out of his wits in goading him into doing better than his current best. _It also brought me my truest friends._

He remembered the championship game that he had asked his mother to watch. He had grown resentful of her always being busy and not giving him any attention, but Quatre had told him that if he wanted some change, he should be the one to initiate, so he did. He asked her to watch the game, eager and hopeful that she would show. Instead... _For all the good things that basketball brought me...it also drew us apart somehow._

"Oi, Braid-kun," Sakuragi interrupted his train of thought. He sounded gruff and annoyed, but his brown eyes reflected a hint of concern. "What's your answer? My legs are cramping here."

Duo looked up at them, his face set in determination. "I need to talk to someone first. I'll give my answer tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Anzai-sensei only nodded, and for a few seconds of looking beyond the glasses and into the old man's eyes, Duo was convinced that the coach understood _completely_. Rather than freaking him out, he was relieved. "Arigato, Anzai-sensei."

He stood up, and Hilde followed him, not without a goodbye to the team.

"Okay. See you around, Hilde-san!" Haruko called out.

"See you, Haruko-san! Minna!"

Rukawa emerged from the corner where he concealed himself, and his unreadable eyes watched the pair of freshmen leave.

*

Duo had vowed that his game against Rukawa was his last, but when the Shohoku team asked him to join, he had to face his past's reality and where his feelings stood. He may have already decided, or he may be more confused than ever. Whatever it was, the talk that he mentioned may be the hardest obstacle he had yet to face.

* * *

Finished July 28, 2002


	7. Chapter Five: 'Niichan Knows Best

**Disclaimers at first page**

Author's Notes: I really had a difficult time writing this. Gomen ne for taking so long in updating. And thank you so much for those who always review. Thank you thank you thank you! *glomps* And I updated the Definition of Japanese Terms Page (the first page). 

* * *

Slam Dunk 02  
(A GW/SD Crossover)  
by AJ Maxwell

The one-on-one between Duo and Rukawa, both former Super Rookies, ended in a tie, much to the disappointment of Miyagi and Sakuragi. During the game, Anzai-sensei revealed what he knew of the braided freshman, and expressed his interest of him for the team. Though Duo irritated Rukawa, the second year grudgingly admitted the same interest. He tried asking Duo to join the team, but it turned into a humiliating experience, which Anza-sensei had to fix. With everything cleared, Duo had to decide, but he first needed to talk to someone who might shed light unto his current issues.

Chapter Five: 'Nii-chan Knows Best

Duo had been staring at the inscription on the base of the trophy for more than five minutes already when a knock on his door startled him out of his reverie.

"Duo."

The door opened to reveal his slightly frowning brother. "I've been calling you for five minutes already. The food is getting cold--"

"'Nii-chan?"

The troubled note in his otouto's voice piqued Maki's concern. He stepped into the room, and closed the door. "What is it, Duo?"

Duo's gaze shifted back to the trophy in his hands. "What do you think of this?"

Maki moved closer, observant eyes carefully assessing his brother's mood. "It's awfully bigger than my MVP trophy," he mock-grudgingly admitted. "Which is unfair. I didn't even get a Rookie of the Year trophy during my time, because there isn't any to receive."

Duo sat down at the foot of his bed, and patted the space beside him for his older brother to follow suit.

Maki settled beside him, and asked, "What's this about, Duo?"

Duo fell backward, his braid trailing after him, and sank into the soft cushions of his bed. He settled the 2-foot trophy on his stomach, and sighed loudly. "You know Anzai-sensei?"

Instead of replying, Maki reached for the trophy and placed it on the floor. "It might fall and hit your face," he explained, and lay on his side, next to Duo. "Of course. Everyone knows Anzai-sensei. He's a very respected coach, and he was a member of the All-Japan basketball team." He looked at his otouto calculatingly. "What has Anzai-sensei got to do with this?"

"He asked me if I could join the Shohoku Basketball Team."

Maki felt the stirrings of delight at what his brother had said. He knew that among all the coaches in high school basketball, it was Anzai-sensei who never asked any student to be part of his team. The students came to be in his team, not the other way around. He knew that the wizened coach never meddled in selecting players for his team, so he was really proud for his otouto to have been invited into the team by the famed White-Haired Buddha himself. A half smile played across his lips because of this, but when he noticed Duo's pinched look, his frown came back. In a slightly dubious tone, he asked, "Why are you saying this?"

A weary sigh. "I don't want to play anymore."

"No, you don't," Maki replied evenly.

"'nii-chan..."

In a firmer tone, Maki asked, "Why don't you want to play anymore?"

"Because...because I'm tired of the game, 'nii-chan."

"You know you're lying. Tell me the truth."

"But--"

"It's impossible that you just got tired of the game, Duo," he insisted. "You can't just get tired of something whose beat thrums in your veins, echoes in your soul. I _know_ you, Maki Duo. You never give up. Why are you giving up now?"

"You don't know me!" Duo exclaimed, even though is aniki's words shook his whole world and made his walls come crashing around him. 

_...Something whose beat thrums in your veins, echoes in your soul..._

"It's been six years since we've been together! Six years since we've last seen each other...I was only ten, for godsakes, and you were a measly thirteen-year-old boy!"

_You never give up..._

But however loud and angry Duo's retort was, Maki remained calm. "You _know_ me, Duo, and I know you well enough. You're only shouting so that you won't hear the voice inside you. You're only insisting that you don't want to play anymore, but you know the truth. You know the truth but you won't face it. What is the reason why you've turned into some kind of a coward?"

_'Nii-chan can read me so well it's scary. I really can't get anything past him, can I? He's seen through me...he's even showing me myself! I know...deep down he's right, but what about...?_

"'Kaasan died during that last game..."

That hanging sentence made everything click in Maki's head so fast he was even a bit awed by himself. _For all my brother's inner strength and determination, he can be such a child sometimes. Hm, trust Duo to feel guilty for something he has no control over. _"Is that why you suddenly decided that you're tired of the game, Duo-chan?"

"I don't want...I mean, I feel guilty because of my selfishness. We've been arguing so much about her not caring about whatever I did, and when she agreed to go to the championship game...I didn't know. I even cursed her when she didn't show. It was only after the party that I found out. She tried to go, but she already died even before she reached the stadium. I didn't know...I feel so guilty, 'nii-chan, that even the sport that I love feels tainted. I don't feel like I deserve to play again, let alone touch a basketball..." It was then that Duo's tears fell, tears that he had been holding back ever since he found out about his mother's death. 

Coffee-brown eyes watched as a pair of fists clumsily brush away the torrent of tears. The older brother in him felt the tug of wiping away those tears, and cheering up his otouto, just like when they were children. But he knew that Duo needed something else. He braced himself for what was about to come. "You know, you're still the soap operatic kid you've always been," he commented dryly.

In a couple of seconds Duo was on top of him, fingers tightly wound on his shirt's collar, and violet eyes narrowed at him, gleaming like steel. "Say that again," Duo said through his teeth.

_Here we go again... "_I understand that you're sad about okaasan's death--I am, too, even if you don't see it. But her death is not your fault, Duo. Nobody wanted that to happen; it just did. That's life, Duo. You can mourn all you want; you have every right to do so, but you don't have to punish yourself. Okaasan wouldn't want you to deny yourself the things that give you happiness and fulfillment. Granted that she died with the two of you not on the best of terms..." Maki felt Duo's grip on him loosening. "...keeping yourself miserable won't bring her back for you to right things."

As Maki uttered the last word, Duo was already lying back on his earlier position, eyes fixed on the ceiling. 

"The only thing that you can do is make the best out of your current situation."

A few minutes more passed them by, not one speaking a word. Finally, Maki sat up, and placed a hand on his younger brother's knee. "I'll be reheating dinner. I want you downstairs in five minutes."

When there was still no response from Duo, Maki just sighed to himself, then stood up. He walked to the door. 

"Soap operatic kid, huh."

The tone of his brother's voice made him turn around. His otouto was laughing silently. He smirked. "You okay?"

Duo nodded, still laughing soundlessly. "Yeah, I'm okay, 'nii-chan. Really okay."

"So you're ceasing this foolishness and eat dinner?"

"Hai!"

"Good." Maki opened the door.

"'Nii-chan?"

"What?"

"Arigato."

"I'd rather you let me eat _right now_," Maki replied gruffly. "I'm starving."

"Okay okay..."

"Thank you." Maki stepped out.

"'Nii-chan?"

Maki gritted his teeth. "What?"

"What's for dinner?"

"Why don't you go down and find out for yourself?"

"Oh. Okay." Duo smiled innocently. "I'll be there in a sec."

Maki hadn't even taken three steps away from the door when Duo called out again. "'Nii-chan?"

"WHAT?!?!" Maki roared at him.

Duo grinned impishly, flashing him a peace sign. "Nothing."

"WHY YOU--YOU MONKEY!"

Duo, quick as lightning, barreled past his older brother, cackling tauntingly.

*

After an interesting dinner of soup, steamed fish, rice, and mango ice cream for dessert, Duo had gone up to his room and finished his homework. When he was done, he picked up his Rookie of the Year tropy from the floor, and looked at it pensively.

_I was so stupid! It's not that I was totally clueless; I knew, deep inside, the things that 'nii-chan told me earlier. I guess I was just to blinded by my guilt to even acknowledge those things. Once again, 'nii-chan made me face reality. I don't know how I'll ever repay him, but I swear I will._

Duo turned and placed the trophy on his study table, beside the portrait of his Palisades High Basketball Team.

_Oh man, how long has it been since I talked to one of them? Three months? Four? I hate to admit it, but I miss even Wu's justice rants! How miserable is that?!_

His violet gaze drifted to the item that lay just before the framed picture of him and his friends--his Shohoku Secondary School identification card. 

_Maki Duo, Year One, Section Two._

_I'm back in Kanagawa now. I belonged here once; I can belong again. This is where my family is: otousan, and the best onii-chan in the world. This is my home._

He looked at the picture again, this time, his gaze focused on a particular pair: him, with his right arm slung around a (very) slightly smiling Heero Yuy's shoulders. He grinned at the sight.

_Heero Yuy...just when I thought that he's practically made of ice, he smiled and showed even the slightest bit of humanity inside him. That asshole... And just when I thought that I'd never encounter someone even remotely similar to him, I went and made an enemy out of a guy who's not only cold as ice, but who also sounds _exactly _like him! Tsk tsk tsk... bizarre things _do_ happen in this world, huh. _

He yawned; a loud, jaw-breaking yawn. _I gotta sleep now. Tomorrow's gonna be exciting. Shohoku Basketball Team, here I come!_

*

Palisades High, California, USA.

The sound of a whistle resounded throughout the whole gym.

"Okay! Break! Fifteen minutes!" Zechs Merquise, senior and team captain, bellowed at his team mates. "Heero! Come here!"

The aforementioned player jogged wordlessly to Zechs, and stopped just a a few paces from him.

"Your game sucks!" Zechs nearly barked at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Quatre Winner, who sat on the next bench, grimaced at their team captain's tone.

"I'm just not feeling well," Heero muttered.

Zechs took a deep breath to calm himself, then said, "Alright. You may go now, but I expect you to do better at the next training. The inter-state is just a few weeks away. Got it?"

Heero just nodded, and walked briskly to the locker room.

"He's just not saying it, but he's deeply affected by Duo's leaving. I can feel it," Quatre said thoughtfully.

"But we're all affected by it, Quatre. I miss him, too, but we all have to move on. We have a lot to do, and we can't afford having Heero not playing at his one hundred percent if we want to even qualify for the semifinals in the Inter State Championships."

"I think all of us need to talk about it again. I know that we've already talked about it before, the day after Duo left, but I don't think we got through to Heero. He's closed himself off again."

"What I don't understand is why Maxwell hasn't contacted any of us yet," Wufei brooded, appearing beside the longhaired blond. "I thought he'd at least e-mail me the first _month_ he set foot on Japan, but no, and it's three months already! There's no--"

"--justice in it. We hear you, Wufei," Trowa interjected, all the while listening behind Quatre. "I e-mailed him thrice but he's never replied."

Zechs' pale blue eyes widened a fraction. "You, too? He also hasn't replied to my e-mails..."

"Guys, come on!" Quatre exclaimed, exasperated. "Duo might be really busy, with all the adjusting that he has to do! And he was really depressed when he left--"

"All the more reason to contact his best friend, I say!" Wufei interrupted. "But no! And I apologize for seeming irrational like a woman right now, but Maxwell has gone too far! I will not tolerate his inconsideration! Doesn't he know that we're all worried about him?! The least he could do is tell us that he's still alive!"

The other three fell silent.

"So," Zechs began, breaking the one minute silence after Wufei's rant. "What do you plan to do?"

Wufei suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I don't know...wait for him to contact us, I guess."

*

Heero Yuy rummaged through his family's things in their attic, looking for an address book full of contact numbers of their relatives in Japan he knew his deceased mother used to keep.

_It must be here somewhere. We might have relatives who live in Kanagawa..._

"Heero. What are you doing up here?"

Heero looked up to find his father leaning on the doorframe and looking at him speculatively. "Otousan. I'm looking for okaasan's address book."

"Doushite?"

"My friend Duo, he moved to Kanagawa three months ago--"

"Ah! Duo-kun! Half Nihonjin, ne? I always wondered why I don't see him around anymore..."

"His 'kaa-chan died, otousan. It was in the papers."

Mr. Yuy nodded. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot. Poor lad. Kanagawa, eh? Beautiful place, Kanagawa prefecture...I think we've been there before. Visiting...I'm not sure if we were visiting your Keiko-obasan and her family or your Mariko-obasan on her wedding day."

"So we do have relatives in Kanagawa."

"Hai."

"So...do you still keep in touch with them?"

His father smiled cheerily. "From time to time, yes. Oh. And you don't have to look in those boxes, Heero. I have the address book in my office."

Heero almost let out a puff of air. _I sometimes wonder from whom I inherited my silent nature._

*

Duo has finally decided; he's joining the Shohoku Basketball Team. Will this new addition provide the strength that the team needs to come out on top, and hopefully beat Kainan? As for Heero's researching about his relatives...what does he intend to do once he contacts a relative in Kanagawa? Is he really so affected by Duo's moving to Japan? ...Is Wufei experiencing PMS? :D

* * *

Finished March 31, 2003 


End file.
